REGION: Riverside County orders 9,500 property owners to clear weeds

To reduce the wildfire threat in the warm, dry months ahead, Riverside County officials are urging landowners to clear properties of overgrown weeds, grasses and other flammable vegetation.

Mike Pahls, assistant fire marshal, said the
county Fire Department
mailed notices this week to owners of 9,500 vacant properties in unincorporated areas that haven't been cleared.

Owners are receiving a "notice of violation and order to abate" from the department's fire hazard reduction office.

Pahls said notices were sent out after inspectors examined 70,000 properties on the county's west side.

The notices are focused on vacant properties located next door to parcels with buildings or along roads, he said. The goal is to reduce the threat to those buildings, and prevent the closure of roads that fire engines may need to travel on if a fire breaks out.

Those receiving violation notices are required to clear overgrown vegetation within 30 days, according to a news release.